Big Ideas for BC’s Resilient Future by Joanna Ashworth Asking British Columbians for their Big Idea for BC’s resilient future opened a flood-gate. The Big Ideas series began with 12 wide ranging ideas concerning energy conservation, community learning and literacy, food, health and empowerment, the health effects of nature, creativity, the university and sustainability education, local economics, a vision for mental health, innovation and BC’s economy, citizen engagement and social media, and eco-system based resource management in the Great Bear Rainforest. We challenged the writers of these pieces to identify an idea with the potential to shift us from our present state and move us toward a resilient future – one that supports health, habitats and livelihoods. Big ideas ask us to consider ‘what if?’ and ‘how about?’ They bring focus and energy to an issue or problem. They excite and inspire action. Big ideas reframe reality. We read the submissions with real excitement. Maybe we’ll discover the next big idea, like Sustainability, the Ecological Footprint or Small is Beautiful. There were ideas about technology, policy instruments and examples of the many ways that people with creativity and understanding make an impact. Many ideas were big by virtue of their simplicity. Some of the ideas reminded us of what we already know but fail to act upon. For example, the idea that preventing pesticides and other toxins from reaching the environment will reduce many kinds of cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular disease thus saving significant costs to the health care system and untold human suffering. You suggested innovations such as, what if the fridge door was transparent and we didn’t have to open while we’re thinking about what’s inside for dinner and thereby saving energy? What if each time a baby was born a tree was planted in his name? What if when a person dies she is buried using natural methods, one that forgoes chemicals and concrete? One person wrote that the power of the big idea is its ability to return us to a notion that small actions in everyday life set the course for our collective future. These small actions might include rainwater collection, grey water recycling, hanging the clothes outside to dry, planting a vegetable garden or sharing your backyard for others to plant. Learning a skill and sharing is another way to build a future. We noted three themes in the ideas: a strong desire for British Columbians to be more included and inclusive in their communities; a plea to tread more lightly on the land; and the recognition that we must become more creative in our approaches to problem-solving. We selected the three pieces here: Connecting Our Changing Communities through the Poetry of the Sakura by Lorene Oikawa; Redefining Ability by Shelley Hourston; and Happiness and Volunteering by Ian Fyffe because in each of them the idea was clearly stated and opened up possibilities for positive change. Reviewing these and the other innovative ideas is inspiring. If you’re still interested in participating in shaping BC’s resilient future, join us for a public dialogue at SFU’s Wosk Centre for Dialogue on March 27. Let’s continue to put these and other ideas to work for our future resilience. Dr. Joanna Ashworth is the director of dialogue programs at Simon Fraser University and the director of Imagine BC Selected Stories for Publication in the Vancouver Sun Other Submissions Preservation of Agricultural Land Biology and Health Curriculums in the Public School System Government Economic Stimulus Funds for Homeowners Mental Illness and Addiction: Intersections with Creativity, Resilience and Self-Sufficiency Adopting the World Time System Transparent City
Please note: the opinions expressed in these stories are those of the authors and not necessarily shared or endorsed by Dialogue Programs |
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